The Big Deal

The tables turned for me Saturday as I slid into the dealer’s chair.

The event was The Big Deal, a fundraiser by the Decatur Jaycees to raise money for the Red Cross.

This casino night included a couple dozen blackjack tables, a few roulette and craps tables and a handful of slots – in the form of those Japanese skill machines.

About a few hundred people bought $25 or $30 tickets to get 500 in play chips and then tried to build up their money to buy raffle tickets for the chance to win prizes.

There were five poker tables set up, but most were empty for the first hour. Finally, a couple of games started, but I was sitting alone.

Two women and a man walked up and asked the game.

“Texas Hold’em,” I replied.

The idea was to deal 5-10 blinds NLHE on each felt.

“We don’t really know Hold’em very well,” one of them said. “Can we play five card?”

“Sure,” I said. “I’ll deal whatever you want to play.”

So I became the lone table offering a non-hold’em game, and we played five-card draw all night (with deuces wild.)

A couple others joined. Most people who sat down quickly scurried to other tables when they learned what we were playing, but these folks had a good time.

I went to Tunica...

...and the only thing I caught was this cold.

Actually, I probably got it from my son, who was diagnosed with some respiratory virus yesterday. I finally broke down and visited a doc-in-a-box this afternoon after I developed a major earache. The nurse gave me a steroid shot so I am much, much better at the moment.

I spent most of my Saturday in Tunica in the hotel bed, sleeping off my sickness. Well, that and the poker. I brought a limited bankroll so I was playing with short money. It didn't help when I lost some right off the bat on Friday, and the monkeys finished me off Saturday morning. I ended up playing mostly small games -- primarily $4-$8 Omaha Hi-Lo with a half kill.

Lot of chasing, lot of hitting by my opponents.

At least the comps were exceptional, as usual for Tunica. I played about two hours of $1-$2 NLHE at Gold Strike Friday night and scored a breakfast buffet the next day (value $10).

At the neighboring Horseshoe I played about eight hours over the two days before going broke. When I asked for a comp, the shift manager said I only had $5 in comp dollars on my card. Since I was supposed to get $1 an hour something was amiss with the computer system. It didn't matter, however, as she granted me a lunch buffet (value $19) anyway.

In total, $30 plus dollars in comps (when you consider the tax I would have paid) for about 10 hours of play.

I wonder what kind of rate Canadian poker might bring.

Tunica Yeehaw!

Headed to Tunica this weekend for a little poker action.

Got the itch for sure, since I just don't get out much anymore -- my last casino trip being to Vegas last summer.

I'll stay at the Gold Strike with my pal Brian. A tip to the wise if you've never been to this land of cotton fields and casinos: Gold Strike is your best bet. This casino has nice rooms (at reasonable rates), a good poker room, and is 100 yards from another casino with a poker room that might even be a bit better (the Horseshoe).

I miss that poker mural they had at the Shoe when they used to have the room at the front of the casino.

WSEX is run by idiots (in case you were wondering)

Here's my next-to-last rakeback statement email from WSEX since they close tomorrow.

Hilarious how they forgot to mention the site is closing while promoting their VIP tournament and deposit bonus in this form email.

Perhaps a bigger question: what did I do with that $16,741.49 in rakeback over the last six years???

Dear TuscaloosaJohnny,

We are pleased to present you with your weekly World Sports Exchange Pay Stub. This sum has been posted to your account during the rakeback procedure. Now more than ever, it truly pays to play Poker at WSEX.com.

WSEX Pay Stub Details:

Last Week's Pay: 5.69

Your lifetime Pay to date: 16741.49

Largest player payment this week: 276.57


Along with offering you the very best pay incentive program - Get Paid To Play, World Sports Exchange - The Original Online Sportsbook is your home for so much more. We have pioneered the online sports betting industry, and for the past 12 years it has been our goal to provide you with the very best wagering experience. Straight wagers, Live Betting, parlays, teasers, and proposition bets, we have them all. Try our "No Download" Casino, the mobile casino games.

We are thankful for your loyalty with us over the years, and we very much look forward to see you participating in at our Poker Tables. As you might already know, we run a $2,000.00 VIP Bonus Event Tournament every Sunday. To participate players must simply contribute $50.00 or more for the previous Week in rakeback or win a token in any of the Daily Qualifier tournaments.

Additionally, World Sports Exchange is pleased to offer a 100% Poker Deposit Bonus up to a maximum of $1,000.00 USD!! Deposit money at WSEX.com and we will start tracking your 100% Poker Bonus up to a maximum of $1,000.00 USD.. YOU MUST EMAIL accounts@wsex.com after you have made your deposit. Enter “Poker Bonus” in the subject line. Please go to our webpage,(www.wsex.com/poker) and click on 'Promotions' for more information.

If you have any questions regarding your weekly statement or anything else, you can always reach us via live chat, email (support@wsex.com) or toll-free at 1-866-234-0575.

Best Regards,

World Sports Exchange
www.wsex.com

Keeping tabs with online poker regulation

I’ve been keeping close tabs on the various discussions of federal regulation and intrastate regulation of online poker, and there has been plenty of chatter taking place in recent weeks.

As the author of this article points out, state legislatures are now going into session so there should be plenty of debate on the merits of online poker in the coming months. Hopefully, we can get somewhere on the issue.

Intrastate poker is no good for me as a player (as I said before, you can forget about any online poker in Alabama anytime soon – although we had plenty of “bingo” machines across the state in recent years before the governor’s office shut them down). However, intrastate poker could provide plenty of opportunities for me as a writer, perhaps through blogging about the games for the companies that operates the games or by writing weekly newspaper columns for publications in the states in which the games are held. Truly, there could be lots of opportunities if I hunt hard enough.

I take exception with the author’s comment that 15 million Americans “illegally play poker online” every day. In fact, zero Americans do so, because it’s not illegal for us to log on and play. I think the author is trying to emphasize his overall point by writing false statements. The point he is trying to make is plenty valid without resorting to these tactics.

The best point he makes is this:

The argument that this is an expansion of gaming and somehow corrupting the moral fiber of the nation is as old as the Wishbone offense. It is no longer relevant, with 48 of 50 states having some sort of gaming and, 43 states having more than three types of legalized gambling. With millions playing online in their living rooms or offices without any controls, wouldn’t it be in the best interest of law enforcement and financial regulations to manage this sub-culture of illegal activity?

Indeed. Indeed.

WSEX is closing WPX

World Sports Exchange announced in an email to users Friday afternoon that they will shut down the poker software on Wednesday -- leave it to them to do it on such short notice, by the way.

No great surprise, really, given how little traffic they've had for a long time. What few players there were around were terrible, though, and I and others made a killing...too bad we may never see our money...


Dear Poker Customers and Affiliates,

It is with great regret that we announce the closure of World Poker Exchange.

As of 1pm ET on Wednesday 15th February 2012, our poker software will no longer be available, and any active poker room balance you may have will be transferred to your World Sports Exchange account. Rake will be paid out as normal on the following Monday.

We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused. Our attention is now focused on improving our sports betting and casino products.

Thank you for playing at WorldPX, and we hope you continue to enjoy playing at World Sports Exchange Sportsbook and Casino.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at support@worldpx.com, or call (866) 234-0575.

Poker room software inquiries may be submitted to tech@wsex.com.

Sincerely,

Management & Staff WSEX.com

Jimmy Sommerfield retires

If you are a serious poker player in the South, you almost definitely know who he is. If you are from other regions you may have heard of Jimmy Sommerfield. He mostly conducted WSOP circuit events in this region, and also assisted at the big WSOP each summer.

Sommerfield recently announced his retirement from directing on 2+2. Evidently, he's going to open his own auction house in Southaven, just a hop, skip and jump from Tunica.

Here his post:

I started in the poker business some 18 years ago, because I was a bad 1-5 seven card stud player. Yesterday , I turned in my resignation as Tournament Manager for the WSOP. I will be resigning the WSOPCE effective March 1, 2012. I will be the Tournament Director at the upcoming circuit events at Choctaw, Tunica, and Palm Beach.

This decision was based solely on the fact that I want to spend more time with my wife, 3 daughters and my first grandchild that was born this morning. I want to thank Ken Lambert( First Poker room manager that had enough confidence in me to promote me to Tournament Director of Horseshoe), Jack McCleland( For teaching me all the ins and out of directing Major Tnmts), Jack Effel (For allowing me to be Poker Manager at the WSOP), All the staff and dealers that work for PTC( For their hard work , dedication), and a special thanks to all of the players that have supported me and PTC. There are also many other people in the business that have been an inspiration to me. I hope that somewhere in my 18 year career, that I have made a difference for the Poker Industry.

Thanks to all, and I hope to see you in Choctaw, Tunica, and Palm Beach!
Jimmy Sommerfeld

Jimmy's a great guy, and his wife, who assisted him at many tournaments, is also a great person. I had the chance to speak to him a number of times along his career, and once interviewed him for a Q&A for Rounder. He'll definitely be missed by those on the tournament trail.

Poker & Survivor

Follow this link to read the recent article by Gary Wise on poker players and how they fare on Survivor.

Like Gary, I’m an avid fan of the show, having watched it since its first season. I also see plenty of parallels between success in poker and success in Survivor.

I find it interesting that Albert Destrade plays poker as his primary occupation, a fact that was not discussed on the show. Unlike Jim Rice, he kept his cards close to his vest, no? (Never mind that he mostly walked around shirtless.)

Treasure Island's gonzo promotion & "soft" Vegas rooms

Those of you who keep up with the goings on in Vegas may have heard about this crazy good promotion that Treasure Island is running. You can earn up to $599 in cash back by playing up to 60 hours a week. (Why $599? That's for tax reasons.)

They pay you in cash at the end of the week...like getting a paycheck without the check. In addition, you get the standard $2 in comps per hour played. So if you grind for 10 hours a day, six days a week you'll earn $599 in cash, plus $120 in chow (or whatever else you spend it on there).

As one 2+2 poster wrote, "If I was in Vegas I know where'd I'd be." Yeah, me too.

Nothing comes easy, though. In reading more discussions about this promotion online, I hear plenty of people complaining about how tough the games at TI are during this event -- which the manager said has an indefinite end. They say you have eight sharks and maybe a tourist or two per table, as the wise grinders of Vegas are making their way to this room.

That reminds me of the question constantly posed on 2+2 that asks which room or rooms have the softest 1-2 games in Vegas. The correct answer may be all of them...and none of them.

You can think of it like "market correction" in business. Any Vegas room that gets the reputation of having plenty of "soft" play will attract the better players, and over time that room would probably become tougher than the average room for a period. That way, the average skill level in a room is elastic. I'd say that TI will become a harder place to win during this promotion, and will continue to be for a short time afterwards. Still earning $12 an hour in cashback and comps may still make the room a good bet if you play smart.

I do have one theory concerning "soft" Vegas rooms, though. Since Mandalay Bay attracts plenty of convention traffic, and is in an inconvenient location on the south end of the Strip, that room probably has a better chance than any others of being consistently "soft." Or maybe I just think that because I've always won the few times I've played there.

Could D.C. be ground zero for American online poker?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-state-of-nova/post/news-for-degenerates-vol-2-dc-moves-closer-to-online-poker-md-stumbling-newt-rumbling/2012/01/24/gIQAXZ2UOQ_blog.html

Where have all the bloggers gone?

The first few months of my new job I went headfirst into work.

It's not unusual, I think, too be very eager when you start a new endeavor, and it's been fun to be back at the reporting game again. One day you're writing about a crime, the next a new business, the next a feature on a humanitarian. Variety is the spice of life, right?

Between commuting two hours a day while trying to sell a house, then selling the house and moving to storage, then buying a house and getting ready to move in...well, I've been preoccupied since the first of October.

We are finally settled into Decatur, having closed on our new home on Dec. 31. We moved in a couple of weeks ago and now my commute to work is about nine minutes.

Yes, I can breathe again!

It's also got me thinking how much I miss poker. I'm sure there are live games somewhere around here, but I am not at all in tune with the underground scene. (And I would be surprised to find an afternoon $2-$5 NLHE game with an average of $5K on the table, but I digress).

I still dabble online at World Sports Exchange, but I have to treat it like play money. If you haven't heard, they are at least $600K behind in paying players. That's just the known delinquent payments on the top sportsbook forum, Sportsbook Review. The nearly five figures they owe me, for example, would not be included in that total since I have not reported it to the forum. There's no telling how much they owe.

The good folks at WSEX claim they are behind because payment processors won't process enough money. I would say the smart money is on another Full Tilt situation where the till got raided and player accounts were not segregated. WSEX seems insolvent. Stay away. Stay far away.

I've taken some time lately to catch up with some of my favorite bloggers. Unfortunately, they seem to be more scarce online than even me! It's sad to see many who haven't posted in at least six months. Perhaps the worse sight of all was going to alcanthang.com and finding a Go Daddy placeholder page. Oh, the humanity!

The temporary death of American online poker seems to have scattered the online poker blogger community too. Both will be back in time. I just hope Congress comes to its senses and creates federal legislation before we have a patchwork of intrastate poker from sea to shining sea. Besides, can you imagine Alabama online poker? Yeah, me neither...

Tuscaloosa Johnny minus Tuscaloosa

The last few weeks? A whirlwind of emotions…and the miles, oh the miles.

Excuse my prolonged absence from this little blog of mine. I’ve noticed that when major life changes occur, blog posts tend to go by the wayside. (An aside: You write a “blog post” not a “blog.” The “blog” is the place where your “blog posts” go. Every time I see it written otherwise it drives me a bit nuts. OK, back to our regularly scheduled “blog post.”)

The last blog absence longer than this one was when I met and fell in love with my future wife and also started grad school way back in 2006. Those simultaneous occurrences had my mind focused on other things, as is the case now.

The first recent major life change happened in the first week of October when I started my new job at The Decatur Daily. Yes, the former newspaper man who said he wouldn’t return to that dying business is back at work at the dying business. What can I say? It’s been a slower death than expected!

While I am proud that I made it more than six years as a self-employed fellow, the writing has definitely been on the wall for some time. With my own government conspiring against its citizens to prevent us from playing online poker (and by extension preventing us from making a living writing about online poker), as well as some of my other freelance opportunities drying up (I’m looking at you Demand Studios), plus my wife’s desire to be a stay-at-home mom it was time to find a steady paycheck again.

Fortunately, I quickly found this job and have enjoyed my first month at it. The Daily is a slightly smaller paper than my old one, The Tuscaloosa News, and it is a demanding yet rewarding job. I’ve been cranking out the Pulitzer Prize wannabe articles and I think they like me here. The biggest plus is that it puts us closer to our respective families in Cullman County. Visit decaturdaily.com if you’re bored.

Even before I found this job we had put our house on the market, ostensibly to sell it and hope to find a job if our house sold quickly. Things worked out well on both fronts as we got an offer on the house the first week I was in Decatur. Before that week was over we had reached an agreement. On Oct. 31, as the kiddies went door to door seeking candy, I was driving a U-Haul from Tuscaloosa to Cullman to put our scads of furniture and junk into storage.

And that’s how after 15 years in T-Town I became Tuscaloosa Johnny minus Tuscaloosa.

I had nine good years in that house. It's where I dated and fell in love with my future wife, where we brought our son home from the hospital, where I made the decision to leave the newspaper business in the first place -- and set in motion the events that led to a wife, dog and child. (And since this is a poker blog I will note that it was there that I qualified online to play in the 2006 WSOP main event.)

If you want to read a talented writer muse on leaving his house visit rapideyereality.
Good luck having dry eyes after reading his post.

I’m better at making myself cry. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had a good weep fest before we locked the door on Halloween. Every room full of memories, I told Amy as we hugged and I bawled into her shoulder in the kitchen entranceway. To my left were the stairs where John Harper had recently begun climbing up to the third step so he could flick the landing light on and off repeatedly. Of course, Amy or I had to sit with him just in case he lost his balance so that he would not go tumbling down.

That’s just one.

Many of the memories Brad relates in his post I have yet to experience. I look forward to the days of teaching my son to throw a spiral and the adventures he will have in his pirate ship deck.

Those will happen in our new house.

We’re hitting the hunt hard Monday morning on my day off, and we are already in love with a foreclosure that appears to be in surprisingly good shape. As my realtor in Tuscaloosa told me, “You see a lot of anger in foreclosures” from people upset about losing their homes. This one seems loved and cared for.

Perhaps it will one day be the house where I will watch my son (and any future children) grow up. Perhaps another one we visit tomorrow will be. Right now, I’m commuting an hour each way from my in-law’s house to the Daily, just about burning up the new Coldplay CD on the way.

For now, I’m just Johnny, not Tuscaloosa Johnny, putting in the miles and dreaming about the future.

Vegas 2011

I started writing this post shortly after the Vegas trip and got sidetracked, and put it off, and well...finally I am not completing it nearly a month later. Here it is:

I'm back from my five-day trip to Vegas with a little money in my pocket. Nothing like the cash I've managed to win on WPEX lately, but it did pay for the trip at least...and lest we forget it was NOT a vacation and WAS a business trip. But yes, I had plenty of fun. It is Vegas, after all.



In addition to networking, one of main goals was to hit every poker room on the Strip that I did not make it to last summer. This was to make notes on each one for my website project. This meant that in addition to checking out the WSOP and playing some cash games in glorious poker rooms like Venetian and Bellagio I would also be slumming it in Hooters, Riviera, Circus Circus and the like.

One thing I've discovered in trekking around Strip poker rooms is that many of the smaller rooms are struggling big time. If not for little morning tournaments that tend to draw in the neighborhood of 15-25 players these rooms wouldn't have a poker game going at all before late afternoon. Even then, most of the small rooms are lucky to get one 1-2 NL game going. I'm not sure any games run at all at Hooters except for weekends. The casino is running a promotion where a player who sits in a cash game for 20 hours during the week gets $300...AND THE ROOM WAS STILL EMPTY!

This was to be another trip on the cheap so we ended up staying a couple of nights at the El Cortez and a couple at Golden Nugget. (GN is a nice hotel for the price, though, with accommodation rivaling those of good Strip rooms for a much lower price...in all of those Vegas articles I wrote for USA Today Travel Tips I mentioned this frequently.) I like to joke about the ol' El Cortez, but I had heard the rooms were actually pretty good. I would say I was a bit disappointed in the furnishings (older), but happily surprised with the size of the room (large).

Brian and I played the evening deep stack tournament at the WSOP as I knew this would be one of my few (if only) chances on the trip to play a lengthy tournament. I lasted awhile, doubling early when I flopped a nut straight and a woman pushed all in against me with the bottom end of a four-card straight on the turn drawing dead to a chop. I busted with AT on a ten high flop against slow played jacks when he called preflop and check raise shoved the flop.

We checked out the stage for the featured table. It's by far the coolest setup yet:



We spent a couple of days hitting Strip rooms pretty hard, and playing lots of 1-2 NL. Of course, we had to stop in to places like Venetian, Aria and Bellagio although I had already taken notes for my research. Don't worry. These rooms are still kicking!

I met up with Jim Anderson, a former regular on RGP, to finally cash in on an unpaid gambling debt. Since our alma maters, Alabama and Texas Tech, played in the 2006 Cotton Bowl we decided to wager a Vegas dinner on the outcome. Bama squeaked by on the fugliest game winning field goal in history. Although both Jim and I have spent considerable time in Vegas in the ensuing five years, this was the first time we were able to connect.

Jim, my traveling companion Brian and I had dinner at the Peppermill, a Vegas institution at which I had yet to eat. Just as its Reno casino counterpart, this local eatery features low lighting and plenty of neon. The three of us played the late tournament at Binion's that night with no luck. I must say that place continues to sadly go downhill. The tournament itself drew about 15 players (they used to get maybe 10 tables) and the former poker room was converted to a bingo hall...which I don't think is even in use anymore.

On this trip Brian and I did perhaps the coolest thing I can recall doing in Vegas (other than, you know, playing in the WSOP ME). You probably are aware that Sahara closed in the spring. We were able to visit during the last days of the liquidation sale inside the property. Where slots once stood on the casino floor was rows and rows of lamps, desks and other assorted junk. A craps table could be had for several thousand.

We weren't so much interested in buying goods as we were in wondering around the property. Talk about access! We went back through the restaurants and kitchens, cashiers cage and coin sorting room and up to the top floor to visit the penthouse suites. We roamed through space that untold celebrities and big shots once stayed. Here are some photos from the excursion:











We checked out the Cosmo one day. Nice place, and you get $10 in free slot play when you sign up for their player's club card. My advice on free slot play is to use it on video poker, where you are likely to recoup most of the free play amount and if you get lucky to hit a royal, straight flush or quads might just make some decent cash.

Overall, I made about enough to pay for the trip so let's call if a freeroll. :)

So Close...Yet So Far Away

As you might expect, we had several later arrivals in the freeroll. Eight handed in all including celebrity guest Dr. Pauly.

We started with 1,000 chips and 15/30 blinds so I knew this would be a quickie. I managed to chip up when I shoved my 980 stack with AQ with blinds of 50/100 and got called by AJ.

I had about 2,800 when a short stack shoved with T3, another player with decent chips went all in with AT and I called with AdKx. The flop was gin in the form of Kd2d3d. Of course T3 caught up with the T on the turn and the river bricked. I ended up winning a few chips on the hand by beating the AT, but if my AK held against short stack I would have had 5K out of the 8K chips in play four handed. As it were I lost with K9 vs. Pauly's K5 and got sort of short myself. I luckily chopped with a couple of outkicked aces against Pauly and ended up heads up against my T3 nemesis, who sucked out big on TimTern to get there.

Not much to report heads up as he had a 3-to-1 chip lead. I just wanted to double so I could play a little poker with 4K chips and 100/200 blinds, but my Q7 went down to A7 and I got the second-place prize of $0.

Honestly, it would have probably cost me $500 just to get to Vegas so I guess it's all for the best.

I want to thank RISE Poker and Hustler Casino for putting on the event. This is one of those subscription based online poker sites that is legal in the U.S.

Heads-Up Freeroll for WSOP Seat?

Doubtful, but with 75 minutes to go before registration ends in a freeroll put on by RISE Poker today I can report that only two people are signed up to play at this time, myself and TimTern from PokerRoad fame.

The winner gets a $1,000 entry in either Event 53 or 54 of the WSOP at the end of the week. My Vegas travel dates are July 8-12, but that could change with a win here. Of course, the cost of a flight might be as much as the tournament entry so I might have to pass even if I won. Another post coming later...

Vegas, Here I Come :)

The title sums it up.

As the Series began I hadn't necessarily planned on going this year, but the streak will continue...eight WSOPs in a row for me. This trip will be a short one, though, and late in the game...from July 8-12.

Last year I went to work on a project I was beginning with American Casino Guide. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as I had hoped. My lovely wife, Amy, however, has encouraged me to build the website I want to start so I'm following through -- this time on my own. (And you can guess that she also encouraged me to thank her profusely on my blog for allowing me to hop on a plane to Vegas.)

The time of the WSOP main event is a great time for me to network, both as a writer and the purveyor of this website project (the details of which I am not ready to divulge just yet). It also allows me to gather research for the site. Yes, that involves playing poker all over town. Sucks, doesn't it?

As usually seems to happen before I head off to Vegas, I have been running hot at the poker tables. Incredibly hot, in fact, as (please don't curse me for bragging poker gods) I am up about $3,000 on the month. May that fun ride continue on to Sin City...

WSOP time almost here

The grand ol' poker tournament is just around the corner. Hard to believe that it's already World Series of Poker time again. I'm sure plenty of online players are chomping at the bit, especially those who focused their play on Full Tilt and PokerStars.

I do find it interesting that while PokerStars has quickly reimbursed American players (got my meager check two weeks ago), Full Tilt still does not have a plan in place to pay us. I'm sure we'll get the money in due time, but for those who have a large percentage of their roll on that site it could affect how much of the WSOP they are able to play.

At least for those players who didn't move to Vancouver or Toronto to play Canadian poker.

Our friendly Feds may have put an end to my WSOP streak. This would have been my eighth year in a row to visit Vegas during the WSOP, but the FBI putting the kabosh on the BBT and any freerolls for Poker from the Rail bloggers is putting that streak in jeopardy. I was lucky enough to win free airfare on Southwest through a website for which I write, but we may pencil that in for flights to alternate locations.

SCOOP & Happy Families

Since we're tornado crazy around here, let me share this video that my friend Tony sent me the link to:



Insane how close that was to him. I believe this was taken in Alberta area in Tuscaloosa, which was just about wiped off the face of the Earth. No joke.

Here's my picture of one Alberta intersection:



We're nearly done covering PokerStars' Spring Championship of Online Poker, which will end on Monday. It's been enjoyable getting back into doing recaps of the tournaments. Part of what I love about my life is in having the ability to make money doing the things I enjoy. As my friend Brian pointed out the other day, it's been almost six years since I left my newspaper job. It has not been an easy road by any means, and I can certainly say that I never expected I would still be trolling around outside of an office six years later.

Of more important note to me, is that this summer will be five years since the Summer of 2006. That's worth capitalization in my eyes. An earlier generation had the Summer of 69 thanks to several notable national events. I have the Summer of 2006, not due to any big news events in the world--I couldn't even tell you a single newsworthy item from that summer--but just for the things that went on in my life.

The Summer of 2006 was the time I decided not to go back to "work." It was the summer I met many bloggers, and got paid to write for Party Poker. It was the summer I spent the longest in Vegas--five weeks--and hung out with people like Wil Wheaton. It was the summer I got to play in the WSOP main event for the first and, perhaps, last time. Most importantly, it was the summer I met my lovely future wife



which led to out future son



which makes us one happy family

The Tornado

Multiply what you see in this photo by a few thousand. That's a fairly accurate description of what happened in Tuscaloosa on April 27.

The tornado and its aftermath have obviously kept me busy. I think I went through a period of survivor's guilt. It was as if our family won some sick lottery after the tornado turned slightly while headed through the heart of town and missed our home by about a quarter mile. I think it took about a week for me to get over the depression that set in after seeing the devastation the tornado wrought on my city. Fortunately, no one we know was among the 41 that were killed, or were even injured. Several people we know lost their homes, including a Sunday School member (the home depicted here.)

Due to some professional connections, I got to write two articles for Time's website, which you can view here and here.

I also was interviewed on FOX News a couple of days after the tornado thanks to the first Time piece. For those of you who are Facebook friends you can view it there (amazingly I don't sound TOO stupid.)

Hey, at least the poker room where I play in town was missed--by mere yards as it turns out.

Finally, two weeks after the disaster I've turned back to my bread and butter of poker and poker writing. I still play a few online poker games at the smaller sites, and was fortunate enough to get hired to do recaps for the 2011 edition of SCOOP on PokerStars. Thanks Otis!

Since PS is now focused more on the Eastern Hemisphere, the start times are more palatable for us who must stay up and watch the final tables for the blog recaps. Although I was up until 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning covering Badugi, I finished up before 11 p.m. the last couple of nights.

How NOT to Play the Hammer

With the closure of FTP and PS to American customers I've seen a few new faces on my sometimes stomping grounds of World Poker Exchange, and boy are some of them donkified. To wit:

Donk limps for $2 in the $1-$2 game and I make it $8 on the button with K-Q. He calls and we see a flop of A-J-T. Donk checks and I bet $10. He calls. Turn is the Q, putting two clubs on the board. He checks, I bet $15 and he check raises to $51. I time out a bit for effect and call. The river is a blank 6 and donk shoves his remaining $71 into the pot and I, of course, instacall.

Yes, he turns over the 7-2 of hearts.